Sunday, September 13, 2009

For nearly two weeks, Serena Williams had made a flawless run through the U.S. Open, pulverizing opponents and dominating matches, a seeming lock to defend her title and capture her 12th career Grand Slam.

It all unraveled in unimaginable fashion a few minutes before 11 p.m. Saturday night, with a foot fault, a profane tirade and a code violation that happened to come on match point, after an irate Williams told a lineswoman, "I swear to God, I'll f --- take this ball and shove it down your f -- - throat. "

Faster than you can spell colossal anticlimax, the rackets were down, the match was over, the crowd was incensed and a teary-eyed Williams was leaving the court to a cascade of boos.

The whole flow of the match was no less stunning than the ending. Kim Clijsters, the 26-year-old, comebacking mother ...broke Williams' vaunted serve four times and spent the better part of two sets moving her around and dominating the rallies with penetrating, angled groundstrokes.

Clijsters held serve at love to go up 6-5 in the second, and as Williams served in the 12th game to try to force a tiebreaker, Williams hit a backhand into the net to go down 15-30. On her ensuing second serve, she was called for the foot fault to make it 15-40 - double match point.

An infuriated Williams walked over to the lineswoman - the USTA would not release her name - angrily shook her racket at her and let fly with profane comments. The lineswoman walked over to the chair umpire, Louise Engzell, to report what had been said. Brian Earley, the tournament referee, came on the court to discuss the matter. Williams approached the net and denied that she had threatened the lineswoman.

With the second code violation, Earley informed Williams that she would be assessed a point penalty. A match-point penalty. She got no slack for a call that replays showed was clearly wrong.

In the interview room, Williams declined to disclose what she said to the lineswoman.